


third time's the charm

by injoonie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, i feel you yaku, kenma is relatable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 21:30:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7239211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/injoonie/pseuds/injoonie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Kenma, do you talk to anyone at your uni?”<br/>“Hm? No, not really. I just go to class, play some games, do homework, eat, and sleep.”<br/>“But the best part of college is meeting new people and making friends! Oh, and falling in love!”</p><p>or</p><p>The story where Kenma can't deal with feelings, Kuroo is a little shit, and the rain is the real MVP.</p>
            </blockquote>





	third time's the charm

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to my best friend that wanted a KuroKen coffee shop fic. I literally have no idea how it ended up so long, but yeah, here you go xd.

Kenma was combing through his hair with his fingers, untangling the knots he had gotten after drying his hair with a towel some short guy had given him. 

He had been coming home after visiting Shouyou, and because he was stupid and didn't bother checking weather forecasts since he never really went outside, he didn't expect it to rain. The sky had been clear in the morning, but of course the weather had to be bipolar on the one day he left his apartment. 

_ This is why I stay inside,  _ he thought resignedly.

When Kenma got off his train earlier, the sky had darkened in a matter of seconds with ominous lightning flashing across the sky. He had hoped he would make it home, but as soon as he took a step out of the train station, he ended up soaking wet. As any logical human would do, he ran to the nearest form of shelter, only to find out that the benches with the roofs over them were already taken. So his only option was to find the nearest building to take shelter in. However, every single place he had tried was packed full with people, and Kenma didn't like being in tight areas filled with too many people. When Kenma finally made it to this fairly empty café, he was drenched to the bone, his clothes sticking uncomfortably like a second skin. 

Some short guy had shrieked when he stepped in, promptly thrown him a towel and an extra uniform. “You're gonna catch a cold! Here, wear this!”

Still, everything was pretty normal in a shitty way.

Except there was a pair of slanty looking eyes and a dumb smirk in front of him.

“Ohoho, is this our new waiter?” Kenma flinched internally as a tall, lanky man with messy black hair sat in the seat in front of Kenma.

“I didn't expect you  to be quite so…” The man leaned back and seemed to be watching Kenma, like the way a cat would stalk its prey.  _ Kuroo,  _ his name tag read.

“Kuroo-san,” Kenma said politely. “I’m not a waiter, and you're making me uncomfortable. Are you the type of person that likes to harass your customers?”

“No, of course not. We’d lose business if I did. Eh, what a shame. if you're not our new employee, why are you wearing a uniform?”

Kenma patiently waited for him to finish chattering before explaining his predicament. When he finished, Kuroo burst out laughing.

"That's gold. You have some shit luck, but you made it here, so I guess finding an emptier store was in your favor. Let me tell you right now.  This café is the best. We make the best coffee, the best desserts, and the best anything. You name it. But seriously, what a shame.”

“What is?” 

“That you're not our new waiter. We could use a cute face like yours.”

Kenma glared at Kuroo. Compliments made him feel awkward and uncomfortable, and Kuroo seemed like the type that liked to mess with people, piss them off just because it was funny. 

“I honestly don't know if you're kidding or not, but stop. Also, don’t you have other things to do? You're not getting paid for nothing.”  To signal that he was done with the conversation, Kenma pulled out his PSP and began to play on it.

“Ooh, what game is that?”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Kuroo move from his seat and when he felt a warm body pressed against him, Kenma decided it was probably smarter to ignore the guy and keep playing. Besides, he really wanted to beat this level of the game. He had been working on it since yesterday. 

“Come on, dodge!”

“No, I swear I saw something there. Don’t go that way.”

“I think you’re suppose to go up or something?”

“Fight him! Why are you running?”

Kenma’s eye twitched slightly. He had no idea why Kuroo wouldn’t go away. He was pretty sure he had made his point quite clear. Instead, he was watching the game, and he was actually paying enough attention to make commentary about it. The worst part? Occasionally, Kuroo would leave to go take an order or two, and Kenma would be a bit disappointed that he left. At the same time though, Kenma was still irritated whenever Kuroo came back. 

_ It’s kind of nice...  _ Kenma thought while he continued to play.  _ Most people try and make conversation, which I’m bad at. He just watches me play. He’s loud, but he’s not expecting me to reply. _

Kenma had never been a people person. It wasn’t that he hated people or couldn’t stand talking to them - he was just anxious in social situations. He was always awkward and out of place, and he was never up-to-date with the latest trends other than the ones that mattered to him: the best gaming softwares, the latest games, and the best deals for them. Still, he didn’t want people to look at him like he was weird, but they probably did since he kept to himself.

Shouyou was practically his only friend from high school that he still talked to. Kenma recalled Shouyou’s words when they were passing by their high school. 

_ “Kenma, do you talk to anyone at your uni?” _

_ “Hm? No, not really. I just go to class, play some games, do homework, eat, and sleep.” _

_ “But the best part of college is meeting new people and making friends! Oh, and falling in love!” _

_ Kenma sighed as Shouyou began yet again to talk about some guy named Kageyama, who he was really close to now. Kenma was pretty sure he was crushing on him. _

Kenma looked up from his game to see Kuroo smirking at some girls who were trying way too hard. They didn’t look like they were trying to dress up too much, but the way they laughed was forced and falsely high-pitched.  They seemed like regulars, since Kuroo knew their names. 

Kuroo winked in Kenma’s direction when he caught him looking. Embarrassed, Kenma quickly went back to his game.

_ But the best part of college is meeting new people and making friends! Oh, and falling in love! _

Kenma shook his head. Nope. Definitely not happening. First of all, Kuroo was obnoxious. Second of all, he probably lived on a different planet from Kenma. He knew a lot of people and had natural charisma, like he was always the center of the party. Kenma, on the other hand, sat in corners with earphones to block out the noise and beat his game. Third of all, he was-

“Hey, I’m back! Did you miss me?” Kuroo set a plate in front of Kenma, which caught his attention. 

“What’s this?” he asked.

Kuroo smirked. “Our specialty: warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream over it.” He jerked his head towards the short boy that had given Kenma the towel and set of clothes. “Yaku told me that I was probably being annoying, so he said I should bring you this as an apology. Not that I’m leaving.” Kuroo sat down next to Kenma again and stretched out, which reminded Kenma strangely of a cat. An oversized cat that couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“Ah, tell him I said thank you.” Kenma took a bite of the apple pie. He thought Kuroo was exaggerating earlier when he said that they served the best food, but it really was the best pie Kenma ever had, and he considered himself a specialist since that was his favorite dessert. 

“Mmmm… This is great.”

Kuroo watched him with an amused smirk. “Yes, I know I am. Tell me something I don't know.”

Kenma tried really hard to frown at Kuroo - he really did - but the apple pie was heavenly, and he really couldn’t do anything besides keep eating.

“Do you wanna tip this humble waiter with your number?”

This time, Kenma really did frown. “First of all, I don’t know you.”

“You know my name. That’s enough to start talking.”

“You don’t know mine though? And all you’ve done is bug me for like half an hour? You don’t even know if I’m fun to talk to or anything.”

“Okay, then let me ask you now. What’s your name?”

“Kozume Kenma.”

“Okay, Kenma. Well, I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, and I think you’re pretty interesting. You’re quiet and reserved, and you seem to be pretty good at games. I can’t say I know much about games, but they’re fun to watch. I’d play them more often if I wasn’t busy with college and this job. And you let me sit next to you for a good thirty minutes, but you refused to talk to me or acknowledge my presence. And your hair is cool. Did you dye it yourself?”

Kenma touched his hair out of habit. He dyed it earlier in the year because he wanted to blend in with everyone else, stay on the down-low. All the other kids had their hair dyed, so Kenma decided it’d be smart to do it too. By some miracle, Shouyou hadn’t fucked up when Kenma asked him to dye it. 

“No, my friend dyed it for me.”

“Why’d you dye it?”

“Because, I didn’t want to stand out…”

Kuroo stared at him incredulously for a second before chuckling. “You’re a weird guy. Wouldn’t you stand out more if you dyed your hair?”

“But everyone else also has their hair dyed. Doesn’t it make me look like the other people?”

“But my hair’s not dyed.” Kuroo pointed at his hair. “See.”

“Yes, I have eyes. Besides, your hair is enough to draw a lot of attention without you dyeing it.”

“Oh, you’re pretty sassy. Grr.”

Kenma shook his head and groaned. “Please stop.”

“Wow, I’m wounded.” Kuroo clutched his heart in mock hurt. “Anyways, just to let you know, this right here-” He pointed at his bird nest of  hair. “-is all natural. No gel, no hair spray, nothing. It’s just my hair when I wake up. All the girls swoon over it though, so I guess it’s cool.”

“Hm, I guess it fits your image? Like that playboy who just doesn’t give a fuck and still manages to make every girls’ ovaries explode.”

“Woah, woah. Is that what I look like to you? A fuckboy?”

Kenma replied flatly.  “Yes.”

“What part of me is a fuckboy?” Kuroo asked, only to be called over to the counter by Yaku, who was looking frazzled at the register. In front of him, a gang of giggling girls were loudly and not so subtly pointing to Kuroo.

“That,” Kenma said with a sigh and chose to go back to his apple pie.

“Point taken.” Kuroo chuckled. “Well, I’ll be right back, Kenma.”

Kenma felt his face warm up as Kuroo said his name. Luckily, Kuroo’s back was turned so he didn’t see it.

_ Oh my god. Please tell me I’m not nursing some stupid crush over a guy I just met like an hour ago. He’s fine but super obnoxious and nosy. Plus, I have no idea if he’s straight, gay, or bi. And even then, why would he go for me when he has all those options. He’s probably having the time of his life right now. _

To Kenma’s surprise, when he looked up from his plate, he saw a very uncomfortable looking Kuroo. People often told Kenma he was observant, and if his eyes weren’t mistaken, Kuroo was very obviously forcing a smile out of politeness. 

Just then, Yaku walked over and began to pour Kenma another cup of coffee. “That guy is seriously annoying. He brings in a good amount of business, but he really likes getting on people’s nerves.”

“So you find it funny when he gets swarmed like that,” Kenma stated, turning back to his game.

Yaku laughed. “Right on. You’re pretty observant, aren’t you? Most people think Kuroo’s kind of just some hot guy and an asshole. They think he likes dealing with the women and men that chase after him, but he just finds it a hassle.”

“Yeah, I guess. Maybe he’s the type of person who likes watching dramas but never wants to be a part of it?” Kenma internally cheered as he managed to pierce the minotaur’s right flank. The mini-bosses were proving to be a lot more troublesome than Kenma initially thought they would be. 

“I suppose,” Yaku said. “That’s probably why he’s so interested in you. I’m not sure if he likes you, but that’s the most I’ve seen Kuroo skip out on work. Despite his looks, he takes his job very seriously. He’s like our head manager here, but he still works as a barista because he likes it.”

“Hnn,” Kenma replied with a noncommittal sound and hoped his heart wasn’t beating as loud as it sounded in his ears. 

I’ve been the baker here for a while, and I’ve known Kuroo since high school. Basically, I’ve had more than enough of a fair share of experience with him. He’s social but strangely reserved. Like, he doesn’t really bother trying to get to know people. He might play around a lot but he never seems to want to learn more than a person’s name.”

“And?” Kenma paused his game, his face impassive, but he was pretty sure his ears were burning red. Thank god for long hair.

“Basically, I know he might seem like a fuckboy, but he’s really loyal. Always been there for me in tough times. He makes fun of me a lot, but he’s a great guy. So yeah, maybe you should give him a chance and give him your number.”

Kenma looked at the time. It was almost five-thirty, and the rain had let up. Without a word, he pointed at Yaku’s pen. Though he seemed a bit confused at first, Yaku quickly caught on and handed it to him. Kenma scribbled his number onto a napkin and gave it to Yaku before quickly packing up his things and hurrying out the door. 

He was too embarrassed to look back.

While he walked back to his apartment, Shouyou’s energetic voice echoed inside his head.  _ But the best part of college is meeting new people and making friends! Oh, and falling in love! _

“Oh, shut up,” Kenma muttered to himself. 

 

***

 

Kenma was definitely not avoiding the cafe. Not at all. Which was why he hadn’t visited there in a month. Kuroo had texted him and Kenma had  replied. And it had continued for hours, and hours, and suddenly, Kenma was pausing his game if he wasn’t in a boss battle just to text Kuroo. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Kuroo again, but Kenma felt that if he did see Kuroo in person again, it would be awkward. After all, during his last meeting, Kenma had been distant and he only agreed to give Kuroo his number because of Yaku (whom he was eternally grateful to). 

Texting him also gave him privacy. If he wanted to blush and hide under his covers like a five-year old every time Kuroo sent him something that was kind of flirty, he could do it without feeling the pressure of Kuroo’s gaze.

Except that he still kind of had the spare uniform Yaku lent him. And even though Yaku had assured him multiple times through text (Kenma had asked for his number from Kuroo so he could properly say thank you) that the uniform wasn’t a big deal, Kenma still felt kind of bad.

So when it rained on him while he was outside again (this time with an umbrella, thankfully), he found the perfect excuse to visit the cafe. He could just say that he was hungry since it was around lunchtime, and that his apartment was too far. Plus, their apple pie was literally a slice of heaven. 

“Welcome, can I take your-” As soon as Kuroo saw him, he dropped his cheery facade and smirked lazily. “Ah, if it isn’t my favorite texting buddy. What brings you here after a long month of absence. Perhaps-”

“No, it’s not you.” Kenma rolled his eyes, but secretly, he was relieved. Kuroo acted about the same as he was when he texted. Comfortable and teasing, with an underlying sarcasm. 

“You know me too well, Kenma. Well, I’d like to know what won your heart over besides me.”

“Well, of course it was Yaku-san.” 

Kenma chuckled quietly as Kuroo nearly choked over his own saliva. “Yaku?!?” he asked incredulously.

“Yes, it was Yaku-san and his well-baked apple pie.”

Kuroo sighed in relief. “Oh, that’s what you meant. You scared me. I mean-”

Just then, a person taller than Kuroo walked out of the restrooms with a mop. “Kuroo-san, I’m done cleaning the bathrooms!”

“Ah, Lev. Good timing.” Kuroo motioned for Lev to stand in front of Kenma. “Kenma, this is Lev, our new employee. Lev, this is Kenma.”

Lev grabbed Kenma’s hand and shook it vigorously. “Ah, Kenma-san! It’s nice to meet you. Kuroo-san always talks about you, but he wouldn’t show me a picture or let me meet you.”

“Lev, I said not to talk about that!”

Suddenly, Yaku appeared at the counter and placed two plates of pastries down. “Lev, don’t slack off! Go wash your hands. I need an extra hand in the kitchen.”

Kenma noted how Lev had straightened out of his slouch when Yaku appeared. “But Yaku-san, I just finished cleaning the bathroom.”

“No complaining! You’re not getting paid to sit around.”

“Fine,” Lev groaned. Still, it seemed like Yaku was his source of energy; Lev brightened up whenever he caught sight of the short man. 

“Hm, is that why you were worried?” Kenma asked. “It’s fine. The only relationship here is the one between me and the pies.”

“Not ours?” Kuroo smirked, and Kenma rolled his eyes for the millionth time since he had walked into the cafe. 

“Well, putting that aside, I think we should be talking about how I became a celebrity in this cafe. Your new worker seems to hear my name quite often. I wonder who is talking about me so often?”

Kuroo scratched his head in mock confusion. “I dunno. Could be anyone. You leave quite an impression, you know? Anyways, what do you want to drink with your apple pie?”

Kenma shrugged. “I’ll leave that up to you. Surprise me.”

Kuroo grinned. “Your wish is my command.”

Kenma sat down at the same spot as last time, a table in the corner that allowed him to see the counter and everyone that walked in and out of the door. It was a cozy corner that allowed him to watch everyone but kept him out of sight. It was also the close to the radio, which churned out songs of smooth jazz and soothing instrumentals.  It was the optimum setting for a peaceful day of gaming, and the constant smell of coffee kept Kenma alert. 

“Here’s your apple pie with a complimentary cup of americano.”

Kenma barely looked up before returning to his game. “Thanks.” While his screen was loading, he reached for the steaming cup of coffee and took a sip. “Hey, this is pretty good. Who brewed it?”

Kuroo, who had been leaning against Kenma’s chair, stood up and proudly put a hand to his chest. “By your one and only, of course. It’s my specialty. I didn’t know what was great with apple pie, since I don’t have a big sweet tooth, but I’m pretty sure an americano can’t go wrong. Especially if it’s made by me.”

“Yes, yes,” Kenma muttered without paying attention.

“What game is that?”

Kenma felt a warm body pressed against his side, and he had a strange feeling of deja vu.

_ Oh right. When I first came here, Kuroo did the exact same thing. _

“It’s a game called ‘Zorennon.’ It’s just a regular adventure type of game, but it’s pretty fun.”

“Hmm, so do you have classes?”

“Yeah. I’m playing as a warrior at the moment. The dps is high, so I like it. It makes it easier to kill things, though I do run out of mana way too much. Still, I can fix it with pots, so it doesn’t really matter.”

“The dps? And mana’s what you need for those special attacks, right?”

“Yeah, that’s what mana is. Dps stands for damage per second. When I use it to describe my class, I’m basically saying that I can do a lot of damage quickly.”

“I kind of expected you to choose the sneakier classes, like thieves or something.”

“Why? Doesn’t simplicity has its charm? Warriors have flashy skills and kill things fast. They’re really fun to play.”

“I see. So what’s that thing right there and why is it flashing?”

Kenma passed the rest of the time answering questions Kuroo asked him about the game while he played. Time flew by when he was Kuroo, and before he knew it, the sky was turning a warm orange streaked with rosy pink. “Huh, so much time has passed already. I should get going.”

“Eh. What a shame. I was having a lot of fun, too. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Kenma swore his hand was shaking as he raised it in goodbye. “Yeah, I guess i’ll see you tomorrow.”

_ Oh my god, I hope I don’t look like too much a loser. _

“Great,” Kuroo said while flashing a genuine smile that showed his white, shiny teeth.

Kenma nearly died.

 

***

 

School was finally starting, and Kenma was surprised to find out that Kuroo went to the same university as him. They just never had much reason to interact because of the  one year gap between them and the different courses. Kuroo was majoring in business and sales, and Kenma was studying computer science.

Even more surprising was the fact that their departments were literally in the same building, so they could  head to the cafe together. Kenma hadn’t realized it before, but the cafe really wasn’t that far from the university. After all, Kenma liked convenience, and his apartment was fairly close to the school, the train station, and the stores near the train station.

After his second visit, Kenma began to frequent the cafe at least four times a week, and he often stayed until Kuroo’s shift ended.  It was easy to lose track of time while playing video games, and even easier when Kuroo was pressed up against a side, a comforting weight that Kenma had quickly grown used to.

Not that he would ever admit out loud that Kuroo was probably the main reason he grew so fond of the cafe. Well, it wasn't like Kuroo was the only reason….The desserts and sandwiches were all ridiculously tasty (props to Yaku), and they made good americano (which was also made by Kuroo).

Honestly, Kema felt like his life was kind of getting better. He had his games and someone to spend time with that wasn’t an hour train ride away, which was pretty much all Kenma needed. But of course, life wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies, and love stories always have drama.

When Kenma woke up that fateful day, it was too humid. He considered not going to school, but classes cost money, so he went against his better judgement. He had a strange premonition that today was gonna be crappy, but hey, there’s always blue days. As Kenma took the train to his university, he got a text from Kuroo that read,  _ hey srry but i cant walk with u afterskool. cafe needs me to come early cuz lev cant be there today lol. dont miss me too much ;) _

Five seconds after he got the text, Kenma opened a picture message from Kuroo of a cat apologizing. 

_ you’re an idiot. it’s cool. i’ll see u at the cafe. i won’t miss u lol _

Despite Kenma’s misgivings in the morning, the day turned out quite normally. The professor continuously lectured them about the importance of whatever he was talking about, gave them notes, and told them when their assignments would be due. Kenma was playing on his PSP throughout the whole lecture, bored out of his mind. The class was pretty simple, but it was mandatory. 

So yeah, just another ordinary day. 

Until he got hit by a trainwreck of black and white hair while he was sitting down under a tree and eating lunch.

“What the fuck.” Kenma groaned, barely managing to clutch his precious PSP close to his chest so it wouldn’t break.

“Are you Kozume Kenma?” asked the trainwreck. 

“Hm, yeah?” Kenma decided he wanted nothing to do with the overly loud guy,  and he went back to his game. He was pretty close to reaching the level requirement for the next dungeon. 

“Hey, don’t ignore people when they’re talking! And look at them instead of your game!”

Kenma nodded in acknowledgement to the noise, too absorbed in his game to really listen.

“So… Is it true that you and Kuroo are dating? He always talks about you. I haven’t seen my bro that excited in a while. Oh, he wasn’t lying about your pudding head.”

“Sure,” Kenma responded, hoping his response would get the guy to leave him alone. He didn’t really hear what the guy said since he had his earphones on, but apparently his reply worked. When Kenma glanced up from the screen,  he saw the guy with black and white hair fucking  _ skipping _ away. 

_ What a strange guy.  _ Kenma shrugged and went back to his game without realizing how he had just fucked his life over.

After he was done with lunch (which was really just a box of apple juice), Kenma set out for his next class, which he actually found interesting. Instead of notes and lectures, the teacher actually let them test out the strings of code. Right now, they were learning how to put together a 3D RPG game, which was obviously very exciting for a video game enthusiast like Kenma.

When the class was dismissed,  Kenma checked his phone. There were ten unread messages from Shouyou, but none from Kuroo. It wasn’t like Kuroo texted him as often as Shouyou, but he usually texted him when there were no customers. Kenma felt the feeling of unease again, but he ignored it.

_ I’m probably overanalyzing things. Maybe there’s just plenty of customers today.  _

Except that when Kenma walked into the cafe, there wasn’t an abnormal amount of people. And that the guy with white and black hair was there. And he was talking to Kuroo, who looked up when Kenma entered and seemed to look back down. Strange.  
  


“Hi Kuroo, can I-”

“Ah, there you are Kozume Kenma! Kuroo, you should teach your boyfriend manners. He wouldn’t even look at me when I tried talking to him.”

“Boyfriend?” Kenma asked, and he felt his neck heat up.

“Yeah, that’s what you said, isn’t it?”

“Wha-?” 

“Bokuto, I’m sure there’s a reason for this. Maybe it’s a misunderstanding. You know how you tend to jump to conclusions.” Kuroo was biting his lip (which should be illegal, in Kenma’s opinion).

“But bro, he definitely said sure. I’m not making this up.”

Kenma was flabbergasted. When had he called Kuroo his boyfriend?  Who was this guy and how did he know Kuroo? 

“Bro, calm down. Here, go sit down. I’ll take care of this, so just go chill.”

“But-”

“I said go chill. C’mon Bokuto, have some faith in me.” After Bokuto left the counter, Kuroo turned his attention towards Kenma.

“Do you like me?”

“I-what?” Kenma was unsure how this development came to be, and it was making him really uncomfortable. Kuroo was usually laid back, but there was an urgency to his voice that made Kenma feel pressured.

“I’m asking because according to Bokuto, he asked you if we were dating, and then you said sure. Does this ring a bell?”

Realization slowly dawned upon Kenma.  _ Oh my fucking god. Is that what he asked me? Holy shit, my life is ruined. I should have stayed home.  _

“Kenma?”

“Sorry, I just remembered I have this project due like tomorrow. Haha, procrastination is a bad habit. I’ll catch you later, Kuroo. Bye.”

Before Kuroo could say anything, Kenma ran out of the doors and headed for his apartment. Kenma wasn’t sure how he managed to run for a whole thirty minutes without stopping (maybe it was the panic), but when he reached his door, he nearly passed out on his doorstep.

He felt like throwing up, partially because he never ran this much and partially because his life was officially fucked.  

Kenma pulled out his phone and dialed the familiar number.

“Hello? Kenma?”

“Shouyou, my life… it’s fucking… screwed,” Kenma muttered while catching his breath.

 

***

A week after the catastrophe (as Kenma liked to call it), he got a text from Yaku.

_ Why don’t you come here anymore?? Kuroo’s been a pain in the ass. Seriously, he’s moping. And he’s always grumbling. You should come back. Or at least text him back...he’s driving me insane. _

Kenma sighed as he read the text. After he ran away and called Shouyou, he had spent the rest of the week locked up in his room and searching for new ways to get to class without bumping into Kuroo. He also didn’t reply to or even look at  the two hundred and fifty-one messages lying in his inbox from Kuroo. He was too scared, to be honest. 

_ He keeps saying he doesn’t know what to do with life without you. _

Kenma rolled his eyes. Trust Kuroo to be melodramatic. 

_ he’s lived most of his life w/o me. pretty sure he doesn't need me lol _

As soon as Kenma put his phone down, it beeped.

_ That’s not the point, Kenma. The point is that he’s depressing to watch, and I think it’d be great if you came back. Lev won’t get off my ass either about why Kuroo’s upset, and to be honest, I don’t know the exact reason either. I just know it involves you, and I’d like our manager to stop moping. _

_ Please, I’ll bake you a whole apple pie. _

Kenma tossed his phone onto his bed after putting it on silent and went back to gaming. Normally, video games kept his mind off any problems he had. But everything he did reminded him of Kuroo. 

_ Hey, where are you going? The villager totally said to head north.  _

_ Look, there’s a treasure chest! _

_ Dun da dun duuunnn! You leveled up. _

_ Ohohoho, that was a pretty sick skill. _

Kenma turned off his PSP and also tossed it onto his bed. He slouched against his chair and sighed at his hopeless predicament.

_ This is getting ridiculous. Maybe I’ll take a nap or watch some movie or something. Anything to get my mind off of Kuroo… _

Kenma turned on his laptop and clicked on some random high school drama. It was doing a pretty good job of distracting him until there was some scene in a coffee shop. Immediately, Kenma thought of Kuroo and how he was probably working around this time. 

_ Great… _ Kenma paused the drama and went to splash his face with water. As he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, he recalled a conversation between Kuroo and him.

_ “Are you going to dye your hair again?” Kuroo asked. _

_ “Hm, I don’t know. It’s a lot work to go all the way to Shouyou’s dorm just to get it dyed. I mean, I could just get him to come, but he’s probably busy.” _

_ “You should. I like how it looks on you.” _

_ “Still, it’s too much effort.” _

_ “Alright, then I’ll dye it for you.” _

Kenma was officially done with feelings. He collapsed onto his bed (on the side opposite of where he tossed his electronics) and reached for his phone, dialing Shouyou’s number without even looking at the screen.

“Kenma?”

“Shouyou, I’m pretty sure I’m fucking pining. For, out of all people,  god damn Kuroo Tetsurou.

“Oh, so you like him Kenma?!? That’s great! Doesn’t your heart feel all gwahh and pwahh and-”

“No, because like I said before, I called him my boyfriend by accident. And I don’t even know if he likes me.”

“Wait, Kenma…”

“Hm?”

There was the sound of something crashing, presumably Shouyou. He was painfully unaware of his surroundings at times. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah. I saw Kageyama. He looked really cool. He usually wears sweats and basketball shorts, so I was thrown off by how well his jeans fit him. Oh, did I tell you? We’re together now! I think I told him how fuwahhh he made my heart feel like a week ago.”

“Oh, congratulations!” Kenma sat up in interest “How’d you tell him without dying of embarrassment and fear of being rejected?”

“Huh? I just told him, I guess?” 

Kenma was a hundred percent done with life. His best friend made it sound like a walk in the park, but for a person like Kenma, the idea of even saying “I like you,” was enough to make him cringe. “Shouyou, you’re not helping. I can’t just casually stroll up to and say, ‘Hey, I’m into you. Let’s go on a date.’ It’s impossible for me.”

“But why not? Just do exactly what you said, and you’ll be fine. Besides, why wouldn’t he like you, Kenma? You’re a great person!”

“Listen here, Shouyou.” Kenma groaned in exasperation. “Being a great person doesn’t mean he’ll like me.”

“But he talks to you a lot, doesn’t he? Even though you said he takes his job really seriously. That must count for something, right?”

“Still-”

“Ah, sorry Kenma. Kageyama and I are going out to eat. Good luck! Just tell him you feel and gwahh and you’ll be fine!!”

“Wait-” Kenma stopped as he was cut off by a click. 

_ Fuck my life. _

 

***

 

Kenma really hated the rain. It made the weather too cold, especially with fall approaching. And it always caught him when he was outside. He had taken the train to go to a store that was holding the first copies of a new game he wanted to play, and now he was drenched.  Putting that aside, it also meant that Kenma had to seek shelter in the cafe again. Of course, Kenma could just go to another shop, but he wasn’t keen on finding a place with better apple pies. Plus, it was a Friday, and Kuroo usually didn’t work on Fridays. 

He entered the cafe and was greeted by Lev. “Ah, welcome. Oh, it’s you. Yaku-san, Kenma-san finally visited!”

Yaku appeared from behind the counter. “Yo, Kenma. You in the mood for some apple pie?”

Kenma noded. “Of course. Your apple pies are the best, Yaku-san.”

“Oh, then what would you like to drink?” Lev asked.

“Uh, an americano.” Kenma sat down at his usual spot, settling into the familiar feeling of peace he got from the cafe. 

“An order of an apple pie and an americano?” Kenma froze as soon as he heard the voice. 

_ What the fuck is Kuroo doing here? Doesn’t he not work on Fridays?  _

Nodding meekly, Kenma refused to look up. Thankfully, Kuroo didn’t say anything and left him to his own devices.

Kenma pulled out his phone and texted Shouyou in panic.  _ omg help me shouyou. I got stuck in rain so i went to the cafe. kuroo doesn't usually work on fridays, but he’s here. gonna kms. wtf i hate my life _

All Kenma got back was a string of unintelligible letters and one word:  _ FAATEEE _

Kenma stabbed his apple pie murderously with a frown etched onto his face.

“What did the apple pie ever do to you?” Kenma looked up to see  _ fucking _ Kuroo Tetsurou standing there, acting like nothing had happened. “And if you frown that often, you’ll get wrinkles early. 

Still, Kenma couldn’t help but notice the slight distance between them. It kind of hurt; from the very first day Kenma had walked into the cafe, Kuroo had always been invading his personal space without a care.

“Well, uh, call me if you need anything,” Kuroo said awkwardly, his hand half outstretched, like he couldn’t decide if he had the right to touch Kenma.

_ But why not? Just do exactly what you said, and you’ll be fine. _

“Kuroo, wait.” Kenma grabbed Kuroo’s hand. “Okay, first of all, I’m sorry for running away and ignoring your texts. I was just… Just scared. I don’t really know how to deal with people, much less emotions. So when I thought of what might happen after you asked me that question, I ran away. But yeah, now I feel stupid. And honestly, I missed your stupid smirk, and your dumb teasing, and that crazy hair of yours. I missed the flavor of your americanos, and this coffee shop, and just hanging out with you. This is like the only time I’ll ever say it, so here goes…. Kuroo, I like you.”

Kuroo remained silent for quite a few minutes. Kenma really wanted to hide in a corner again, but he forced himself to stay and wait for Kuroo’s response.

“Ohohoho, I knew my charm would work on you someday.” 

Kenma looked up and saw Kuroo smirking like a little shit. “I’m done. Bye.”

  
“Wait, wait. Sorry. It’s just, I was really happy, and I didn’t know what to say. So yeah, that was the first thing that came to my mind. I really missed you, Kenma. I kind of always knew I liked you, but I couldn’t really read you. So when you walked in here today, I was worried that if I got too close again, you would run off.”

Kenma shot him a deadpan glance. “What am I, a cat?”

“Yes, you’re my little kitty,” Kuroo cooed. “So, Kozume Kenma, will you go out with me?”

“Hm, let’s see , what do I get out of it?”

Kuroo pretended to look hurt. “Well, you get all of me, free of charge. What more could you ask for?”

Kenma laughed. “Another slice of apple pie would be great. Oh, and another cup of your famous americano.”

“Fine, but only if you say you’ll be fine.”

“Yes, I’ll go out with you, Kuroo.”

“Great, then I’ll go get your cup of coffee and slice of pie.”

When Kuroo returned, he found Kenma curled up on the seat and playing his newly bought game. “Did you get that game today?”

“Yeah. I got rained on when I was coming back from getting it, which is why I came in.”

“Isn’t this the third time you’ve come to the cafe because of the rain? Ha, I guess third time really is the charm.”

Kenma rolled his eyes. “Yeah, if you say so. By the way, why are you working today? I thought you didn’t work on Fridays?”

“Ah.” Kenma looked up and was surprised to see that Kuroo was bashful. “I chose to work all the time because I wanted to make sure I got to see you. I was scared I’d miss you if you walked into the cafe on a day I didn’t work. I’m pretty desperate, huh.

“I don’t know whether or not I should be flattered or worried. But yeah, you saw me now, so are you going to go back to your regular schedule. Otherwise, you can’t help me dye my hair next Friday.”

“Well, if you put it that way.”

Kenma laughed fondly and went back to his game. He felt a ticklish sensation on his face and a heavy weight on his shoulder. “Kuroo, your head is heavy. And my shoulder’s gonna go numb.”

“Eh, but I was gonna count that as a tip. I provide you with such amazing company all the time, so I think I should receive some extra payment.”

“Well, choose something besides your head on my shoulder. I can’t play like that.”

Kenma had a bad feeling as Kuroo took the PSP from his hands and paused the game. “Ohoho, then I have the perfect idea.”

“What?”

“Tip me with a kiss.”

“Oh my god, you planned this didn’t you? You’re such a dork. I can’t even.”

“I wouldn’t say I planned it, but I did dream about it. C’mon, Kenma.”

“Ugh, but it’s embarrassing.” Kenma tried to grab the PSP from Kuroo’s hands. “Give it back. I can tip you at my apartment or something, but not here.”

“Is that an invitation I hear? To your apartment, of all places. Wow Kenma, I didn’t know that-”

“That’s not what I meant! Fuck you, Kuroo.”

“Gladly,” Kuroo said with a cocky grin. 

“Oh my god, I hate you. Fine.” Kenma grabbed Kuroo’s face and leaned in until their lips were touching. To Kenma’s surprise, Kuroo placed a hand on the back of Kenma’s head and pushed their faces closer, until all Kenma could see was Kuroo and his stupidly perfect face.

When they broke apart for air, Kuroo smirked. “I could get used to this.”

  
Later that night, Kenma found a picture message of Kuroo and him kissing from Yaku and a message that read,  _ Glad you guys finally got together, but TPO please. _


End file.
